Oil surge puts energy ETFs at top of 2026 gains

[ETF - Exchange-traded fund, investment, stock market.]
Torsten Asmus

Energy and commodity-linked exchange-traded funds have dominated year-to-date performance among traditional fund types, as geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, have driven a rally in crude oil and refined products.

The surge in energy prices has spilled over into related segments, including tanker shipping and broader commodity baskets, lifting returns across the space.

The outperformance highlights how narrowly concentrated gains have been in 2026 so far, with investors rotating aggressively into inflation-sensitive and supply-constrained assets while most other sectors lag.

TOP 10 PERFORMING ETFS YEAR-TO-DATE (TRADITIONAL FUND TYPE)

* Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BWET]): 585.25%
* United States Oil Fund (USO [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/USO]): 99.42%
* United States Brent Oil Fund (BNO [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BNO]): 91.10%
* Invesco DB Energy Fund (DBE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/DBE]): 73.95%
* United States Gasoline Fund (UGA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/UGA]): 71.20%
* Invesco DB Oil Fund (DBO [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/DBO]): 59.18%
* WEBS Energy XLE Defined Volatility ETF (DVXE [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/DVXE]): 49.13%
* Ninepoint Suncor HighShares ETF (SUHI:CA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SUHI:CA]): 48.22%
* iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GSG]): 45.06%
* United States 12 Month Oil Fund (USL [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/USL]): 44.97%

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